Guardian Agent
by Seirei no Ryuu
Summary: To pay her bills, Haruno Sakura takes on the duty of body guarding Uchiha Sasuke. It was simple: protect the over-protected Uchiha from fangirls, gangs, an arsonist, personal secrets while dealing with the most uncooperative boy alive. Easy, yeah right. Hiatus
1. Ch 1: Letter

Ch1: Letter

Two letters were slipped inside a small, square mailbox mid morning then later retrieved late afternoon. One envelope said _bill_ while the other said _assignment. _A pink haired girl with green eyes set the letters on a small table as she entered a tiny— almost closet-like apartment. Haruno Sakura shuffled to her small bathroom for a shower, passing by a diploma for ANBU shinobi.

Ever since the age of nine. Sakura has been a ninja. Some of the missions she's been on were dangerous, while some were just plain easy. Her parents died in a tragic fire that left nothing of their house behind. The only object she had left of them was a photograph of a red – almost pink – haired woman and a brunette man carrying their laughing daughter on his shoulders.

Sakura finished her cold shower and dried off. After she dressed up, she opened the mission letter. It requested her services in guardianship. But when she saw who her client would be, she reread it over and over to be sure. The client's name was _Uchiha._

The Uchihas were a family with well trained members in ANBU. So why would they need a shinobi to guard one of their family members?

Sakura set down the request, telling herself to later ask if the mission was a misprint. She opened the other envelope and immediately had second thoughts of denying the mission.

The bill was her monthly rent on the apartment, and the amount charged was very high. Lately, the missions she's received have mostly been C rank and she uses the money she's earned to meet her daily needs. Sakura barely has enough to pay for her license let alone register for the next rank, Black Ops.

The payment for the mission was not much, but enough to for the apartment and boost her savings by a couple hundreds. It looked easy enough, just guard a member who maybe was too young to sign up. Maybe the kid even learned a couple of his family's techniques, making her job easier.

Before going to bed, Sakura signed her name stating that she accepts the mission. The next day after sending the letter, Sakura spent the whole time packing what she could into a black luggage. A new letter arrived with a plane ticket and address of her client.

A week later, Sakura turned in her key to the landlord, and boarded the plane to Konoha.

* * *

**It's so short. I'm sorry!**

**School's around (since last month) so that means I won't be able to update as much. It's not fair.  
**

**Thanks to my beta xXAsuka-chanXx!  
**


	2. Ch 2: At the Uchiha house

Ch 2: At the Uchiha house.

The town of Konoha was not a big town nor was it a small one. It was a sleepy place with people going with their daily lives lazily. Sakura was half asleep while in a taxi that was waiting for a train decorated with the work of gang graffiti. The taxi dropped her off on front of a traditional Japanese house guarded by a tall black gate. She pressed the doorbell and a voice spoke through the transmitter underneath.

"State your name and purpose."

"Haruno Sakura. I'm here as the ninja guard you have requested."

There was a pause, and the voice asked, "What is the password?"

Luckily, Sakura had memorized the code that was on the letter for her plane ticket.

"O1928724A21G6," she recited.

There was a click and the gate swung open. Sakura walked forward and up the patio. She knocked once and a small section slid open to reveal a dark eye.

"Password?" asked the eye.

Sakura repeated the password again and the door slid open to reveal a man with silver hair and half of his face covered in a mask. Two lumps under his mask curved upwards in what is assumed to be a smile..

"Kakashi-senpai!" she said excitedly, giving the man a hug. "It's so great to see you again."

"And it's great to see you too," Kakashi chuckled. "You've grown a lot. How long has it been since I last saw you? Two years? Three?"

"Five years," corrected Sakura. "I was thirteen at the time."

"Oh that's right. You were also taking the Chunin exam."

Sakura brought her luggage in. Before they headed into the rest of the house, Kakashi put a blindfold over her eyes.

"Sorry, client's orders."

They walked forward, Kakashi leading Sakura while pulling her suitcase. They passed the time by catching up on what the other has been doing.

"So what rank are you now?" asked Kakashi.

"Jounin. Unfortunately, I've only been getting C-rank missions."

"C-rank? Must be out of higher missions. Are you going to become a special ops?"

"I was thinking of doing that, but first I need to save some money to take the exam." She felt Kakashi push her left shoulder which signaled her to turn right. "Since you're here, I take it that you are on a mission for the Uchihas?"

"Yes, the same as you. I've been here for three years."

There was one last turn before the blindfold was removed and Sakura found herself in the main hallway of the house. Kakashi led her upstairs to a room on the far right. "This will be your room," he said. "It's close to our client's son, so if anything happens you'll be there first."

Sakura rolled her suitcase into the room and followed Kakashi back down, They went further inside the house and stopped in front of a door. Kakashi got on his knees, and Sakura did the same.

"Fugaku-sama," he began. "The second body guard you have requested has come."

"Good," said a nonchalant deep voice. "Has he seen him yet?"

"No sir, _she_ has not."

The door slid open and a man sat there, smoke drifting around him. He had dark brown hair that reached just the nape of his neck. His eyes were critical as he examined Sakura. Out of respect, Sakura bowed her head.

"What are your abilities?" asked Fugaku.

"I know basic taijutsu, and most of my ninjutsu is basic," she replied sheepishly. "But I have knowledge in medicine, good chakra control, and I am very good with genjutsu."

"Hn." Despite his grunt, he was impressed. "Fine. Later, give a presentation of your genjutsu abilities." He closed the door without another word.

Kakashi next led her to a garden surrounded by cement walls. A boy about her age was lying in the grass while spinning a basketball on his finger. He had much darker hair than his father and when he raised his head off the ground, the back of his hair poofed into spikes with only two very long bangs accenting his face.

"Sasuke, this is Haruno Sakura, your new guard," introduced Kakashi.

Sasuke gave a brusque snort and resumed spinning the ball.

Sakura was beginning not like him. He was from a respected family, so Sakura expected Sasuke to stand up and shake her hand or show some sort of politeness. When she first arrived, she expected her client's son to be little with some of that childish rudeness still there, but this guy must be at least eighteen and he's even more rude than a little kid.

The silver haired man must have guessed what the girl was thinking for he scooted her away from the garden and Sasuke.

"You'll have to excuse him," defended Kakashi, "he just didn't want a second guard following him wherever he goes.

"I see." Though she really didn't. "Am I going to be attending Sasuke's school?"

Kakashi nodded. "He's going to be a senior this September." They stopped at the foot of the stairs. "Well, I'll let you get things unpacked. I hope you brought enough; you could be here for awhile."

Her new room was so much more spacious than her little apartment. The bed she would sleep on was now a comfy, large mattress with soft blankets instead of a stiff, single bed with thin sheets. A desk was tucked into a corner, giving her lots of room to move without dodging a table. The white walls were cleaner and more solid-looking than the peeling paint of her old apartment; when she opened her window, warm light bathed her room instead of the shadow of a brick wall. After organizing her clothes and some of her personal belongings, Sakura flopped her body onto the bed.

"This is like heaven," she cooed, burying her head in the overstuffed pillows. She was just about to doze off until Kakashi called her down.

"If you talk to either Fugaku or Sasuke, don't bring up anything about Fugaku's wife or older son," advised Kakashi.

Once the two Uchihas sat down, Kakashi and Sakura sat facing each other on either side of Fugaku and Sasuke.

"Haruno Sakura," the older Uchiha began. "Since you said you specialize in genjutsu, would you demonstrate for us?"

Sakura stopped midway from before putting some noodles in her mouth. She set down her chopsticks, and clapped her hands together forming the hand signs; pig, dog, monkey, rabbit, snake, dragon, and repeated the signs two more times. There was a flash of light and everyone found themselves sitting in a house that was covered in flames as debris clattered. Sasuke tensed at first, then relaxed a little.

Fugaku nodded, and Sakura released the genjutsu; everything morphed back into it's original form.

"Your genjutsus are very convincing."

"Thank you," Sakura said. "Sometimes, I can cast genjutsus to the point of where I can see what they're thinking, but I don't like doing that. I usually can't find anything useful anyway."

Fugaku nodded again, impressed by such an advancement. "You also said you know medicine; healing requires great chakra control."

"Besides healing, I can also release my chakra through my fists, creating a much stronger impact."

Fugaku pondered over Sakura's abilities. They were not as good as Kakashi's, whose seem to excel at almost everything, but her abilities can help make an opening for an escape, especially if the two were to work as a team. The older shinobi would hold the enemy off while the younger one could take Sasuke away from trouble.

Everyone finished the rest of the meal in silence. Sasuke gathered all the plates and took them to the sink where a flour sack sat on the edge of a shelf above. Sakura noticed that Fugaku's dish was left and volunteered to take it. With the plate, she went into the kitchen. White powder was sprinkling down and Sakura noticed the sack was beginning to tilt in Sasuke's direction.

"Look out!" She shouted, bounding over in one leap and pushing Sasuke away before the sack spilled it's contents all over.

_She's fast, _Fugaku pointed as a ghostly Sakura coughed and spluttered white dust.

She coughed a couple more times. "You okay?" she asked.

"Fine." Then he returned back to washing dishes without another glance at her.

"If you come with me, I'll show you where you can wash up," said Kakashi, leading her out of the kitchen.

When the ninjas were gone, Fugaku entered the kitchen, lighting up a cigarette. He sucked on it for a couple second then exhaled a a cloud of smoke.

"Why didn't you offer to show her instead of Kakashi?" he asked.

Sasuke remained silent.

"The least you could have done was say thanks."

Sasuke continued to wash dishes.

"Are you listening? With that attitude, you'll make the Uchiha name looked down upon."

At that moment, Sasuke snapped. "What about you?" he challenged. "You're the head of this goddamn house, so why didn't _you _say 'thanks'?"

Fugaku glared at his son. "Get out," he growled, pointing at the door.

Sasuke slapped the sponge on the water, marched out, and slammed the door.

* * *

"Ah, this feels so nice!" Sakura said. Her shoulders emerged from the water and instantly felt the cold sting of the air. The bath she was in was a large bath that was designed to look like a hot spring. Kakashi told her that there was an extinct volcano nearby with pockets of heated water within. A pipe connected the bath and the springs, supplying the water.

Sakura ran the soap across her skin and through her hair, then submerged completely underwater, removing any excess flour. When she emerged, she found herself on the other side of the bath. She cleansed herself a couple more times before swimming back.

_It really is luxurious here,_ she thought. Hot spring baths, beautiful gardens, home cooked meals, large rooms . . . yes it seemed that this house did have the things she used to have, minus the bath. Yet the air of the house was different. While eating dinner, there was an air of hostility, especially, between Fugaku and Sasuke.

Reluctantly, Sakura stepped out of the bath and wrapped a towel around herself. Unfortunately, Kakashi volunteered to take her flour-coated clothes to the washer's, leaving Sakura her underwear and shoes. All she could do now was dry her hair while waiting for her clothes to be finished.

There were footsteps. Sakura took out a kunai and poised herself to be ready. Kakashi said that this bath was separate from the Uchiha property, and occasionally, a stranger would knock and try to enter.

"Who's there?" she asked.

"Sasuke."

Sakura relaxed. "Is there something I can help you with?"

There was a long pause. "I brought you some clothes."

Sakura raised one eyebrow. "Why?" Even if she had known him for one day, this generosity seemed a little odd for the stoic boy.

Outside, Sasuke was growing impatient. "Just take it," he said curtly.

Convinced that he was real, Sakura opened the door and slid her bare arm out. Sasuke shoved the clothes into her hand and looked away. The clothes were not hers; they looked to be more of men's clothes.

"Are these yours?" she asked while putting them on.

"Yes."

There was no sound of receding footsteps.

"Is there something else?" Sakura put on the pants and examined how she looked in the mirror that was in the bath.

Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't even know why he did it: acting nice to something he never wanted. It might have been because of the manners he was taught when he was younger. He just decided to give her some clothes to borrow. He might as well just follow _his _advice. "Thanks, for pushing me out of the way." Glad to have gotten that off his chest, he walked away.

Sakura smiled. _I guess he can have a nice side too, _she thought. She ran her hand through her hair, getting rid of any obvious tangles.

* * *

**All I have to say is thanks again xXAsuka-chanXx, my great beta.**


	3. Ch 3: Naruto

Ch 3: Naruto

Besides being a bodyguard, Sakura had to also be a servant. Luckily, Fugaku and Sasuke were not spoiled to the point where being a servant meant tending to their every need such as hand-feeding them. Kakashi was also a 'servant' too, and all they had to do was cook, tend the garden, and clean the house every now and then; Sasuke even helped around the house too.

The garden was probably the most colorful place in the whole house. A small pond with a bamboo fountain, several circular stone steps leading up to a gazebo with a couple bushes surrounding it. Sasuke was mostly in the garden during his free time. Even if it was too bright or peaceful to even exist, the garden held significance to him.

It was the last week of summer and of course Sasuke was in the garden. Sakura came in and offered him some tea. He refused it as soon as he heard it was from his father.

"Okay, but if your thirsty, I've left it right here," she said, tapping the tray to indicate where it was. Then she got up and left.

Sasuke lay down, resting his head on his hands, listening to the _tonk! _of the bamboo fountain. Soon his throat began to feel dry. He glanced at the tray, debating whether to drink or leave it. Finally, he pushed the tray away and sat up. There's always tap water.

Something yellow dropped to the ground. It was a boy around Sasuke's age with vivid blond hair. He wiped the dirt off his face and scrambled to his feet.

"Teme, get ready for the biggest noogie of a lifetime!" the blonde called, running towards Sasuke with his fist raised.

The sliding door flew open, and a streak of pink raced out. Sakura tackled the boy and tied his hands together with shinobi wire and placed her knee on his back.

"Getoff me!" he said, kicking the ground like a child in a tantrum.

"State your name and purpose," she ordered, laying a kunai on his neck.

The boy gulped. "Sasuke," he pleaded, "help me!"

"Sakura, let him go," Sasuke sighed. "He's a friend."

As Sakura got off and loosened the wires, Sasuke noticed a part of a head at the edge of the door. Sasuke turned and Fugaku left, satisfied with the quick reaction of Sakura.

"What's his name?" Sakura whispered, indicating at the boy with her finger.

He rubbed his hands, and before Sasuke could answer, his eyes rested on the the kunai in Sakura's hand. "Hi! My name is Uzumaki Naruto and what's your name? Are you a ninja? Can you make clones of yourself? Can you breath fire? Can you walk on water?" All of his questions came so fast that Sakura almost lost track of them.

"Er . . . hi, I'm Haruno Sakura, yes, yes, no, and yes?" When she realized how these questions were related, she raised one eyebrow and added, "How do you know so much about shinobis?"

Naruto grinned as if he had been waiting for that question. From the bag he had with him, he pulled out a white book and handed it to Sakura. "It's a manga called _Naruto, _and doesn't it have the greatest title ever?" He gently nudged Sakura with his elbow, then punched the air. "Ninjas really do exist!"

"Not exactly," Sasuke interrupted. "There's no Summoning jutsus, curse marks, or tailed beasts."

Naruto scowled. "Oh yeah? How can you be so sure that there aren't any paper skin pedophiles or . . ."

Sakura turned to the manga and began leafing through. She was impressed at how accurate it was — if not somewhat creeped out. Maybe the author Kishimoto was a ninja too. _**Or a stalker, **_her Inner thought.

" . . . maybe there are screaming souls with scary masks that eat our souls and our only hope to cross over are shinigamis with swords, or there are these black notebooks that fall out of the sky and if you write someone's name in them they die. Or maybe there are little people who symbolize who we want to be and float around peoples' heads!" Naruto continued.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Isn't the last one a shoujo?"

The blond turned as red as an apple. "S-so? It's not like I read it — 'cause I don't. I mean the guy with the king dude is cool — but I just look at what everyone else is reading, okay?"

Sasuke just looked at him with disbelief. Sakura took this chance to intervene and gave the book back to Naruto. "Thank you for lending me the book." She turned to Sasuke and asked "Are you done with your tea?"

He nodded and Sakura took the tray and the cups away.

"Is that your new body guard, teme?" Naruto asked. Sasuke shrugged and Naruto added, "Well, she's cute. Say, teme" — he nudged Sasuke with his shoulder —"Don't you think —"

Sasuke punched him and muttered about not wanting to hear anymore comments, then walked into the house. Naruto massaged his head, cursing and asking his friend why he had to do that.

"Go away, dobe," Sasuke said when they were outside the kitchen.

"Go away, dobe," Naruto mimicked in an unnaturally childish voice, while opening and closing his hand to make it look like it was the one talking. "No," he said tersely.

Sakura appeared with a broom in her hands. "Is something wrong, Sasuke-sama? Do you want me to show Naruto out?"

The doorbell rang and Sasuke headed for the door, but Sakura stepped in and said she would answer it.

"'Sasuke-sama'?" Naruto inquired as soon as Sakura was gone. "Since when did you become so . . ._ old?_"

Sasuke ignored him and went into the kitchen; he dug out a bag of chips and started eating it. Sakura came in a couple minutes later with Kakashi, who had two bags full of school supplies.

"You got me my school stuff?" said Naruto. "You shouldn't have!"

"And I didn't. These are not yours." Kakashi pushed the notebooks Naruto was reaching for towards Sakura. "These are hers."

Sakura nodded. "As part of my mission, I'll have to attend the same school as Sasuke-sama since Kakashi-senpai can't just come in every day. I'll be in the same grade too."

"But Kakashi-senpai, you should've gotten some for me too," the blond whined. "You know I can't afford all of them."

"'Cause you splurge your money on ramen," said Sasuke as he wrote his name on his notebooks.

* * *

**Whoever can guess all four of what Naruto was referring to gets a bucket of cookies.**

**I really can't thank you enough for betaing, eh, xXAsuka-chanXx?  
**


	4. Ch 4: Acceptance

Ch 4: Acceptance

Sakura straightened her collar and fixed the tie of her uniform. She strapped a couple kunais to her thigh so that it was hidden by her black skirt and placed a senbon (with a safety cover on each end) in her knee sock. She put the rest of her weapons in the designated pouch then put it in her new bag and passed through the many turns of the Uchiha house entrance. Sasuke was already there by a dark blue car.

They had to wait for Kakashi, and after a long time he finally appeared, and all three of them got in the car.

"I'll only be driving you guys for the first day," Kakashi said, trying to make up for his tardiness

"I can drive," said Sasuke curtly.

"Yes, but it's your father's orders; that's why I got the keys first."

They drove for awhile longer, slipping through the morning rush. Finally they pulled into a big parking lot in front of Konoha High school where students were already rushing in.

"I'll pick you guys up after school too," Kakashi called as Sasuke and Sakura got out. Sakura gave him one last wave before catching up to Sasuke.

Naruto was there, leaning on the wall chomping away at a banana. When he saw them coming, he stuffed the rest of his breakfast into his mouth and strode over. He looked really irritated.

"Kakashi was late and he had to drive us," Sakura answered before Naruto could ask his question.

"Well then, let's go; I still need to organize my locker."

"Like it'll stay organized," Sasuke said under his breath.

Naruto pretended he didn't hear that and led them into the school. "I'm so glad we're seniors now. No more being told we're underclassmen, no more being pushed around by upperclassmen and we get more respect than we ever did as juniors. Oh, and you get the privilege of kicking freshman if they get in the way." He added the last part in a whisper so that only Sakura and Sasuke could hear.

As soon as the three entered the already busy front door, a great pounding shook the ground. The source of the rumbling came from a crowd of girls charging furiously at them while screaming at the top of their lungs. Sakura grabbed Sasuke and leapt in the air while Naruto backed towards the nearest wall. Still, the crowd of girls squished him. They looked around, confused and calling Sasuke's name. Naruto scooted through the little space he had, constantly being pushed by other girls.

Up above, Sakura was hanging from the second floor railing with Sasuke dangling underneath. Sakura heaved a great sigh. _That was close, _she thought. _I hope Naruto is okay._

Sure enough, Naruto appeared, panting heavily. "I―I thought I was a gonner!" he gasped.

"If you don't mind." Sasuke swung his legs over the railing and began to walk away from Naruto and Sakura. A girl below spotted him and the whole crowd rushed up the stairs.

Sakura was about to jump in until Naruto stopped her. "Teme can handle this," he reassured.

Sasuke fast walked into the bathroom and the girls piled around the entrance. Moments later, a boy wearing sunglasses and a snow cap came out and was ignored by the girls.

"Wow," said Sakura as Sasuke approached.

"Yeah, fangirls," replied Naruto. "They're all attracted to Sasuke. I wonder what it feels like to have girls chasing you as if you were a celebrity?"

"Annoying," Sasuke answered, then he headed towards his locker.

They followed him until they passed the fangirls. They saw another boy push some of the girls away just to get in then tripped inside.

"Is this normal?" asked Sakura.

Naruto shrugged. "Doubt it. But why only teme? Why can't they chase me around? I'm just as awesome, I might even be better than him!" he marched away furiously.

Sakura headed towards her locker and organized her things. _**Is this what I have to guard Sasuke-sama from? **_Her Inner questioned. A couple girls walked by, talking about where the Uchiha could be. _Maybe not. _Sasuke was able to fool the girls with a simple disguise, so they were not going to be a problem.

After homeroom, Sakura headed for Calculus then later English. Sasuke was there too. He sat quietly in the back, which was why Sakura almost missed him. Sakura smiled and took the seat next to him.

"Hi," she greeted, "I see you're not wearing your disguise anymore."

"They don't allow hats and sunglasses in school." He started tracing the trenches imprinted on the desk. "You should go to another desk."

Sakura was about to ask why when the answer walked through the door. There were three girls; the one with the glasses looked the boldest, the other two trailing behind her like loyal dogs. The pink-red head's eyes lit up when she spotted Sasuke, then became peevish when she spotted Sakura. All three marched up to them and the bold one slammed her things on top of Sakura's.

"Excuse me," she said, not sounding the least bit polite. "This is my seat."

"But I got here first. And" ― Sakura gestured towards the other empty desks ― "there's plenty of seats for you to sit."

The girl removed her glasses and whipped her hair. She grabbed Sasuke's arm and started rubbing her cheek against it. "But I wanna sit with my Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke noticed Sakura's hand move swiftly to the hem of her skirt. He shook his head and pushed the girl away. "Leave her alone, Karin. She's" ― he paused to look at Sakura ― "my cousin."

"'Cousin'?" Karin placed her glasses back on and scrutinized Sakura's bubble-gum pink hair and vivid green eyes.

"Er ― yeah. I'm Sasuke-san's cousin four times removed. I just transferred over the summer." Sakura added the _san _to Sasuke's name, hoping to sound more familiar with him and convincing. She doubted it, even with a fake smile, but Karin removed her stuff and planted them on another desk.

* * *

"You sure you don't wanna come to my place?" asked Naruto, unchaining his orange bike. "Dad'll call Fugaku and let him know where you guys are."

"Thanks but no thanks," said Sakura. "We'll wait for Kakashi even if he is late." It was four, two hours since school let out for the day. Naruto stayed with them while they waited until it got too late.

"Well, I gotta go now." Naruto mounted his bike. "See you tomorrow, Sakura-chan, teme!" And he rode off.

Sakura waved goodbye and joined Sasuke who was leaning on the wall. It was silent between them and they dare not break it. Soon, however, the air began to chill as the sky grew darker. Sakura wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed her hands over the goosebumps on her arms. Sasuke tested a couple doors before finding one that was unlocked. Sakura followed him eagerly to feel the warmth of the school.

"Thanks," she said, feeling warmer.

"Hn." Sasuke picked up the school phone and started dialing his house until a car parked in front and Kakashi stepped out.

"Sorry I'm late," Kakashi said. "Got caught in traffic."

Sasuke gave a snort of disapproval while Sakura didn't look convinced. Two men came and Kakashi became serious. One of them putt his hand behind his back and threw something at them. In a flash, Kakashi blocked the two shuriken with some of his own.

"Sir, I'm afraid weapons are not allowed on campus," said Kakashi sarcastically.

"Shut up!" said the one who didn't throw the shuriken. He looked to be the oldest of the two. "There's one of you and two of us. You don't stand a chance."

"I beg to differ." Sakura stepped forward, holding a kunai and a shuriken.

"Whatever," said the other one, smiling and getting in a fighting stance. "It's the guy behind you we want anyways.

Metal clanged against metal as each side threw and blocked. The younger one got frustrated with how little progress was made that he gave up throwing weapons and clapped his hands together to form a series of hand signs.

"Suiton: Bakusui Shouha!" A great wave erupted at his feet and rumbled towards Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura. Sakura grabbed Sasuke and Kakashi grabbed them both and leapt into the air. They landed on the second floor and ran away from the other shinobi.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" cried the other one. Many clones appeared and began running up the stairs.

Kakashi turned right followed by the other two. "We need to find a place to hide," he said.

"The janitor's closet," Sasuke pointed.

Kakashi opened the door and Sasuke and Sakura went inside. He stepped in and looked around before closing the door while the others arranged some of the mops to make it more roomy. The crowd of shadow clones passed by while some banged on the door.

When the clones feet began to fade, Kakashi turned to Sakura and Sasuke. "I'll distract them while you get Sasuke to the car," he said towards Sakura, who nodded. "Don't wait for me, just drive straight home."

They both nodded. Kakashi turned around and slipped out the door. He went left and soon, the sound of punching and clones bursting could be heard. Sakura waited awhile before opening the door and beckoning Sasuke to follow her.

Something whizzed past and Sakura shielded herself from two oncoming shuriken with the door. There was a loud _thunk! _and the first man appeared and clashed kunais with her.

"Sasuke, go!" Sakura screamed, resisting the strength of the other ninja. She tried to knee him, but he swiped her kunai away and punched her in the stomach.

"Give up," he said. "I'm older and stronger than you and your guy here is a perfect ransom for money."

Something got him in the back and when he turned around, something else splashed on his face. It started to burn, leaking into his eyes too. He screamed and tried to rub whatever was burning him, cursing at the top of his lungs. Sakura saw her chance and rushed at him until a foot kicked him and he crashed through a window.

The foot belonged to Sasuke. "I don't need another body guard," he said, throwing the bottle of bleach he was holding back in the closet. "I can handle things myself."

He walked away. Sakura was about follow him but hesitated. She looked out the broken window and saw the dead ninja lying at odd angles down below. It amazed her that Sasuke was that able to take down the guy and he didn't even use a blade. Maybe he didn't need another guard, but if she were to leave, how could she pay the rent for her apartment and not live on the streets?

She must have stood there for a long time because Sasuke finally came out and was heading towards the car. There was a crash and the other shinobi leapt out of a broken window and charged at Sasuke, conjuring more clones.

"Hope your dad can give you a lot of money," he said, surrounding Sasuke in a circle of clones.

Five of them rushed at him at once, but Sasuke gave them all a strong kick and punch. Once those five disappeared, another five went for him but they were smarter and pinned Sasuke's arms behind his back.

"Struggle and you die," one clone said, holding a kunai against his throat.

Back in the school, Sakura struggled with another clone. When she saw the circle of clones pull her client's arms behind him, she wrenched her arm back and got him in the gut. When it disappeared, Sakura leapt out of the window, aiming her fist at the ground.

The earth broke, and many clones disappeared. Because of the earth, some of the clones loosened their grip on Sasuke. Quickly, Sasuke took out each one while keeping his balance. Sakura joined up with him, eliminating all the others until one was left.

"Where's Kakashi-senpai?" she asked the original.

"Caught up in his own troubles." He put his hand together in a cross and many more doppelgangers appeared.

_I'm out! _she picked up the last of her kunais.

"Give up," said Sasuke, "you're down to your last efficient weapon. I told you, I can handle things myself."

The clones gave a shrill laugh. "You think you can escape once we have you. My master has a poison that'll paralyze you and it hurts like hell." One of them gave a small shudder, then quickly regained his composure.

Sasuke straightened up and took a deep breath. A clone reached for Sasuke and he didn't even fight it off. Being poisoned is probably better then living with the bastard that was his father. If he died, then he could leave his father to his smoky hell. Yeah, anything would be better than his life now.

The clone's hand was sliced in half and the rest of its body disappeared. Sakura was in front of him, her kunai in one hand and a needle in the other.

"Sasuke-san, I'm not going to abandon you," she said. "It's my duty as a shinobi to protect you and I will willingly fulfill that duty until the day I die."

Sasuke looked at her with a blank face. The original grit his teeth. "The girl's gonna be trouble. Take her out!"

They all joined and headed for Sakura. She prepared herself for the impact, waiting for the clones to make her collapse, until a huge water wave engulfed them all.

"I too know a couple water jutsus," said a voice Sasuke and Sakura were so glad to hear. Kakashi stood at the end of the water jet as it shortened into the ground.

There was only one guy left; the original. He swore and placed his hands together in a hand sign. Sakura ran towards him, concentrating enough of her chakra to cast a genjutsu, but her fist landed only on smoky air.

_**He got away! **_screamed Inner Sakura.

"We don't need to chase him," said Kakashi. "If we leave Sasuke here, there could be more enemies lurking." He turned his back towards them and placed both hands on the ground. "Sakura, heal any injuries Sasuke has while I fix the school grounds."

As Kakashi leveled the ground, Sakura checked if there were any injuries; there were none except Sasuke's sore shoulders. The police came because someone reported about the many clones surrounding Sasuke. Kakashi assured them that there was no way clones could be conjured, and when the officer noticed the body, Kakashi replied that the man fell out of the window after he tried to attack his "kids." Luckily for them, the man was wanted for five robberies and for shooting an officer.

The three of them got in the car after the interrogation. "How was your first day of school?" asked Kakashi trying to break the silence between the younger passengers. He was answered with tired glares.

When they got home, Kakashi had the unfortunate job for telling Fugaku what happened and braced himself for any explosions.

"Good night," said Sakura with a bow.

"Fine," said Sasuke so suddenly that it startled Sakura. "I'll — accept you as a guard. Just . . . don't get in my way."

"Hai, but should danger come you know what I have to do."

"Whatever," he said, closing the door behind him.

* * *

On the other side of town, the shinobi from the school stood outside a large warehouse. He gulped and pushed open the doors.

"You haven't brought the boy for the ransom?" said a raspy voice whose owner was concealed in darkness. The shinobi found it odd that his master would stay in the darkness when he always deals with light.

"Sir I —"

"You know very well my time is limited."

Something slithered up the subordinate's clothes and he felt something pierce his skin. It burned and started to spread across his body. His heart raced and it became harder to breath. He collapsed and gasped his last breaths before he became still.

"My patience is running out."

* * *

**By the way if any of you are actually freshman, we upperclassmen don't actually kick you guys (you probably already know this by now, but I really wanted to say that :p). But you may want to watch your back.**

**This is chapter is so late! GAHHHHHH! I wanted to submit this in the beginning of the school year so that the message above would apply better. Unfortunately this year is when everything is being thrown at you all at once! I don't think I'll be able to get a new chapter for a long time. It's not fair! **

**xXAsuka-chanXx, thank you so much for being a great beta.  
**


	5. Ch 5: The new friends

Ch 5: The new friends

"If she's his cousin, then she must've seen Sasuke-kun sleeping!"

"Maybe she saw his body…"

"Oh my God! What if they, you know . . ."

These were fast moving rumors and they just went on and on. Even a couple weeks into the year, they were still around and followed Sakura everywhere.

"Girls will gossip about _anything_ if it's Sasuke-related," Naruto teased.

Sasuke hit Naruto upside the head and fixed his sunglasses and hat. "Shut up," he growled.

A group of girls who were close by walked away, texting or wondering where the Uchiha went.

"Sakura-chan, they're gone," said Naruto, opening the locker beside him.

"You sure?"

"Yep." He looked around first and added, "It's just me and teme here."

Sakura stepped out, relieved. She rubbed the back of her neck, cracking it a little. "I think I might get killed by those girls one day," she grumbled.

Suddenly, Naruto had an idea. "What if you had another friend, one that was actually a girl?" He grinned a big grin. "And I know two who are perfect!" He ran off, leaving the others in the dust.

_**'**__**Dammit!' **_Sakura's Inner screamed. She stuffed herself back in the locker. "If Naruto asks where I am, Sasuke-sama, tell him I got eaten by the Kyuubi."

Sasuke smirked. "Sure." He rested his back on the locker, enclosing Sakura in darkness. Once, she banged her head on the shelf while trying to find a more comfortable position. Two girls passed by, giggling and chatting with each other.

"You know," Sakura's voice echoed louder within the locker, "if you don't want fangirls chasing you, why not be home-schooled?"

"No," Sasuke replied curtly.

Sakura sighed. "Why not? Is there something wrong with you and your father?" It was hard not to see the avoidance, constant glares, deathly silence, and rejection Sasuke gave Fugaku.

"Shut up." Sasuke pulled out a pair of earphones, shoved them in his ears and turned up the music to an earsplitting volume.

They were silent well into passing time. The warning bell rang and Sakura peeked out of her locker. Naruto suddenly appeared and was half-dragging someone behind him. When Sakura saw it was a girl, she squeezed herself back inside.

"Where's Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked.

There was a pause. "She got eaten by the Kyuubi."

Naruto snorted and shoved Sasuke to the side. "Oi! Sakura-chan! I know you're in there. C'mon, she won't bite." He violently banged the door and it echoed all over the hall.

"Um . . . N-Naruto-kun, I have to go to class. I c-can always m-meet her later."

Sakura hesitantly peeked out of the holes of the door and saw a petite, fair-skinned girl with long, dark hair and light purple eyes. Sakura noticed that the girl would look at the blond and blush, but hardly pay any attention to Sasuke.

Sakura stepped out and the girl immediately bowed.

"Ko-konichiwa, Haruno Sakura," she stammered.

"Her name is Hyuuga Hinata." He put a hand over his mouth and whispered, "She's a little weird, but I think you'll like her. There's another one I'd like to introduce to you, but I don't know where she is. Hinata, do you know?"

"Um . . ." she mumbled that the other girl was in class, but Naruto didn't catch it.

"Wha'd ya say?" He placed his ear close to Hinata's face, and in an instant, she fainted. "Gah! Hinata, are you alright?"

Well Sakura could see why Naruto thought she was weird, but she had a feeling it was not due to her personality. The final bell rang and Naruto volunteered to take Hinata to the nurse's office while Sasuke and Sakura hurried to their next class.

* * *

Sitting alone in the cafeteria wasn't so bad. You got a whole table all to yourself, lots of elbow room, and no harsh words coming from someone whose got a stick shoved up their ass.

"Who am I kidding?" Naruto asked himself. "Eating alone sucks!"

Naruto wolfed down the rest of his sandwich then dashed out of the cafeteria. He headed for places his friends would be: classrooms, the library, places he wouldn't usually be found in his free time. He stopped in front of a classroom and saw a familiar face: a girl with hair lighter than his tied in a tight ponytail.

"Yo! What's up Ino?" Naruto walked towards the girl and pulled up a chair.

"Cramming," she said, not looking up from her paper.

"Shopping spree?"

"Yep."

Naruto leaned back and rested his head on his hands. "That's what you get for focusing only on your weekend plans."

Ino threw her pencil at his head. "Shut up! The only thing that goes through _your_ head is ramen!"

The two began a huge stare down. Soon both of their eyes began to water. They turned away, wiping their eyes, crying, "Alright, you win!" then laughing.

There was the bell, signaling the end of sixth period. Ino gathered all her stuff and walked out the door with Naruto.

"Hey Ino, you know Haruno Sakura?" he asked.

"Sasuke-kun's cousin?"

"Er . . . sure. Anyways, I was thinking if you'd want to be friends with her. I think you'll like her."

Ino pondered about being the pink-head's friend while heading to her locker. "Okay, I'll be her friend. But on the condition that you get me a date with Sasuke-kun."

Naruto was about to jump for joy when he heard the last part. "What!"

"I said I would like a date with Sasuke-kun in exchange for being Sakura's friend." When Naruto's mouth fell open, she playfully shrugged and walked away with a triumphant smile.

* * *

The last bell of the day rang and everyone came out, happily talking to each other. Ino was walking to her locker when she saw a head of pink. Ino chuckled as Sakura stuffed her calculus book into her bulging bag.

"Hi," greeted Ino. "My name is Yamanaka Ino. Naruto told me you needed a 'friend.'"

"Thanks, but I get along fine," Sakura said, tensing slightly as Karin passed by.

This did not escape Ino's notice. She let the glaring girl pass before talking again. "Oh don't worry; I'm not one of them. I've known Sasuke-kun longer."

"Sure," she jeered.

"I'm serious! How many guys do you know of that is as good looking as him but is always scowling as if something were shoved up his butt?"

Apparently, Ino had known Sasuke for a while, but Sakura still didn't buy it. What if the girl was just trying to get close to her so she can spend all her unwavering lust on Sasuke? Her shinobi policy and Sasuke's disgust in fangirls did not allow that. She closed her locker and walked away.

Ino ran a hand through her hair. "Naruto never told me how stubborn you were." She caught up with Sakura before she turned a corner and met up with Hinata who was sweeping the floor.

"Hinata, where's everyone else?" asked Ino putting her hands on her hips. "You're not going to clean this whole school all by yourself?"

"Of course not! But . . . my group said we'll split up and clean each floor. I just hoped they haven't bailed out on me."

Ino nodded. "Oh, have you met Haruno Sakura yet?" She gestured at Sakura who had begun to walk towards the front entrance. She turned around and gave a strained waved.

"Yes. Naruto-kun introduced me to her."

Sakura looked towards the entrance. A blue car was parked in front. _Sorry, Sasuke-sama._

"Well, I guess that makes us your friends, Sakura," said Ino. "Now you won't have to hang around your cousin all the time, and the fans can be happy. It's a win-win!"

"Did you meet Sakura-chan yet?" said Naruto, appearing out of nowhere and receiving a startled punch from Sakura.

_ That's an insane punch! _Ino and Hinata were awestruck at how far Naruto flew, which was about halfway across the long hall.

"So you met Ino," said Naruto after recovering from the punch. A painful-looking red bulge appeared on his cheek where Sakura hit him. "She was the one I wanted to introduce to you."

Ino flung her arms around the other girls. "Yep, and I think we'll be great friends." She winked at Naruto.

At that moment, Sasuke got out of the car and barged in. "Hurry up," he growled. "I've already gotten ten calls from_ him_."

"Aah! Sorry, Sasuke-sama!" Sakura removed Ino's arm and went to Sasuke's side. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." She waved goodbye to the others before following Sasuke to the car.

"Wait, why does she call him 'Sasuke-sama?'" Ino asked.

"I dunno," Naruto lied. Ino was about to press for more, but he turned around and another red bump in the back of his head glared angrily at her.

* * *

**Well, I'm still around and have finally gotten an update (for the time being, I think).**

**Gosh this chapter was so****_ boring_! When I was editing it, I couldn't focus because it was just that and I think I may have dozed off too. And I have a feeling that other chapters will be boring too. I'm sorry! It's so stupid of me that I can't get the plot moving forward other than to present you with this . . .this . . . this _crap!_  
**

**Thanks again, xXAsuka-chanXx! I know we had some communication errors going on and I acted crazy and freaked out badly, but you being my beta means a whole lot to me!  
**


	6. Ch 6: The Failure Shinobi

Ch 6: The Failure Shinobi

Ever since Sakura began hanging out with Ino and Hinata, things have slightly improved. The death threats, glares, and rumors lessened a little; things still hung around, but with a little less hostility. Ino and Sakura's relationship was a little rocky since they had similar personalities, which tried on their nerves, but they always found a way to be great friends. Hinata was quieter, which leveled out the trio and Sakura noticed that the only time she stuttered was around Naruto.

"Sakura-chan, please come back!" Naruto whined one morning. "I miss hanging out with you and seeing you perform cool ninjutsu."

"Naruto, I'm still your friend," Sakura reassured. "Besides, wasn't it your idea for me to have _other_ friends?"

"Yeah, but I don't mean abandoning your old ones!"

"Well it's too late." Ino appeared and embraced Sakura. "Me and her are great friends and nothing can separate us. Hey Sakura, wanna come to my place this Saturday? I can invite Hinata too."

"Hey!" Naruto grabbed Sakura's left arm. "She's been with you guys all week. It's time she was with me again."

Ino and Naruto started pulling at Sakura's arms, growling at each other. They kept on tugging her in opposite directions, creating a faint popping sound.

"Okay, okay, you guys hear that popping? Yeah, that's my shoulders." When the blonds let go, Sakura massaged her shoulders and swiveled them a little in their sockets.

"Sorry, but I can't be with any of you." Before either could scream "Why!" she swung her arm and added "Fugaku-sama is working this weekend so it would be best if I stay home. Maybe next week?" Quickly, she turned around and headed towards first hour Calculus.

* * *

"Sasuke-sama, which do you like better?" asked Sakura.

Sakura and Sasuke were at the grocery store at the request of Kakashi, who was busy preparing dinner back home. Sakura held up a package of peas and a package of corn and presented it to Sasuke. He pointed to the corn with a grunt and proceeded to the counter with the basket that held all other items they were buying.

"Have a nice evening," said the cashier, particularly at Sasuke when she finished scanning the items.

When the groceries were bagged, Sakura took one bag, gave the other to Sasuke and walked out before the cashier could take a picture of the Uchiha.

"I can't wait to taste what Kakashi's gonna make with this," said Sakura.

It was already night and they hadn't even got halfway out of the parking lot when a group of burly men came strutting their way.

"See? I told you the girl has pink hair," said one excitedly. "And damn, is she pretty."

"Excuse us," said Sakura, slightly stepping in front of Sasuke.

"What a lovely voice," another said, closing his eyes. "Do you think she can sing?"

"I love a woman who could sing," said the biggest. "What should we do, boss?"

The way how everyone looked at the smallest guy in front of them, Sasuke and Sakura concluded that he was the leader. He said nothing for a while, scrutinizing the Uchiha and the pink-head.

"You." He pointed at Sasuke. "You're an Uchiha, aren't you?"

His three friends became excited; they started whispering among themselves, but Sakura picked up on one of them saying, "— bring in big bucks."

"Get him." Then he stared hungrily at Sakura, "and his girlfriend too."

They came closer, making their bodies bigger, but before they could lay a finger on them, Sakura slammed a smoke bomb to the floor and followed Sasuke behind a car.

"You're a ninja?" said the leader, making his voice louder. "Guess what." Between his fingers were four long, metal triangles. "I'm one too."

Shurikens flew everywhere. Once the sound of crashing glass subsided, Sakura peeked from behind their hiding spot. Unfortunately, the other shinobi saw her and threw more shurikens in her direction. Sakura grabbed Sasuke and weaved through the cars, relying on the metals bodies for protection.

"His shurikens," Sasuke said.

"What?"

"The way he throws them." When Sakura looked through the car window, he did too. "He just throws. He never aims, just wastes everything."

_I see it now._ The man launched all his weapons left and right, not even trying to conserve. "Either he's got something up his sleeve or," — she looked at his sloppy fighting stance — "he's a ninja drop-out."

A kunai landed near them followed by a trail of fire. Sakura covered Sasuke with her body and used her chakra to shield them from being burned to bits.

"Look, young love," jeered the other shinobi as he stood on top of the nearest unblown car. "So what if I didn't complete my shinobi training? I, like all ninjas, have tricks up my sleeve."

The first man who spoke about Sakura's voice appeared, pointing a gun at them. Before he could fire, Sakura slammed her fist on the ground, and with Sasuke, jumped out of the way. She felt a sharp jab in her right shoulder and ran a hand over it to make sure it was not bleeding too much.

"Sasuke-sama, are you hurt?"

Sasuke looked at his unscathed skin. "No."

More gunshots were heard as the others pulled out their guns. Despite the pain in her shoulder and the blurring shapes, Sakura readied herself in case they appear while at the same time searching ways to escape. Fortunately, sirens screamed around the block and two police cars pulled into the parking lot. The little gang surrendered and were pushed into the cars, handcuffed together.

"Miss, are you alright?" asked one cop, holding his hand out to her.

"Yes, thank you." Sakura was about to take his hand when Sasuke stopped her.

"It's a genjutsu," he said. When Sakura gave him a doubtful look, he added, "It's all too perfect; how did we not get hurt in the explosion? How come the bullet in your arm is not restricting your movements?"

Sakura pulled her hand back and arranged her fingers in the tiger hand sign. "Kai!" she cried, and the cop melted before her, leaving the face of the failure shinobi. The pain in her shoulder disappeared and Sasuke lay beside her, eyelids twitching. Sakura threw a couple needles and took Sasuke somewhere else. She released him from the illusion and helped him sit up.

"Nice job noticing that," Sakura complimented, warily looking at their options. If she took them out with her strength, it would be too much for the already damaged parking lot and endanger the lives of the any bystanders.

"Use genjutsu," said Sasuke, as if reading her thoughts.

She nodded. _Our only option. _She did a series of hand signs and ran to each thug, catching them in the back of their heads. When she got to the leader, he dodged but was not fast enough to escape Sakura flipping over him and landing a punch to the head.

He thudded on the ground, and Sakura checked if anyone was around. The cashier was there, along with a small group of people peering through the doors, all staring in awe. Sakura recast the genjutsu and once all of their eyes landed on the little gang's twitching bodies, some took out their cell phones and called the police.

Quickly, Sakura turned back and with Sasuke, headed for home. The illusion she gave to those people would play in their minds that the gang appeared and attacked a couple of kids with deadly weapons but a good Samaritan came and helped them escape. Partially true, but not enough to reveal everything.

"You have good observation skills," said Sakura after she fixed any wounds and scratches when they reached the house. "I think Fugaku-sama should hear about this."

"Wait ―" Sasuke began, but Sakura was already way ahead of him.

"Fugaku-sama," Sakura said when she was outside the older Uchiha's door.

"Hn?" He slid open the door and the smell of cigarettes surrounded her.

"I've come to talk to you about Sasuke-sama." She sat on her knees and bowed. "I think he has the potential to be a shinobi."

Fugaku lit a cigarette, took a couple puffs and said, "No."

"But Sasuke-sama has great observation skills!" she protested. "We were attacked by a gang today and he was able to notice a genjutsu before I did! If you just give him the chance ―"

"You are a shinobi, therefore you should pick up on those things better than the average human. You've mentioned that you're advanced in genjutsus, so what happened?"

"But ―"

"NO!" He roared. "I will not have my son meet the same fate as my wife and his brother, understand?"

Shamefully, Sakura lowered her head. Fugaku had two points. The work of a ninja is dangerous, more dangerous than any other job out there. And why did she fail to notice a genjutsu staring right at her? She was only focusing on keeping Sasuke safe. She 'was just doing her job' was her bad excuse. "I'm sorry," she said submissively.

Satisfied, Fugaku turned his back to her. "If I catch you mentoring Sasuke, I will strip you of your shinobi license." He puffed the cigarette a couple times. "Dismissed."

Sakura closed the door and silently walked away. Sasuke was at the end of the hallway and he heard everything. She walked past him and down to their rooms where she was sure no one could hear them.

"Sasuke-sama, how long will your father be working on Saturday?" she asked.

"All day. Why?" Though he had feeling he knew the answer.

"I'm going to train you in the shinobi arts."

* * *

**All right, now it's Sasuke's turn to get in on the action!**

**And as always, thanks to my beta xXAsuka-chanXx!  
**


	7. Ch 7: The begining of training

Ch 7: The beginning of training

As soon as Fugaku pulled out of the driveway Saturday morning, Sakura and Sasuke headed for the garden to begin training. She assessed how high his skills were and found that he had previous training but stopped after a series of events that Sasuke would not talk about. From the way how he sparred with Sakura, most people would have thought he was a brown belt.

"Do you know any jutsus?" asked Sakura.

"Some basics" ― he pondered for a moment ― "and one advanced."

"Really?" she said. "Can you show me?"

Sasuke pointed to the patio for her to sit and turned to the farthest wall. He formed his hands into the snake, tiger, monkey, boar, horse, and finally tiger, took one huge breath and blew out a huge fireball; Sasuke held it out until all the required chakra was used up, leaving some of the plants a little burnt. He turned back to Sakura and smirked at her awestruck face.

"Wow!" She exclaimed. "That was perfect! Who taught you that?"

Sasuke shrugged. "My brother."

"Amazing, but don't shoot any at me when training," she warned.

"Hn."

"You're playing ninja?" Kakashi appeared, hiding the disapproval in his face with what could have been a smile.

"Aah! No, Sasuke-sama's just showing me―"

"S'okay Sakura, I can keep a secret. Hey, how 'bout I spar with Sasuke?"

"No, no, he was just ―"

"It's okay," said Kakashi more firmly, waving his hand. "I won't go hard."

Sakura was doubtful, but stepped back. Sasuke and Kakashi took fighting stances and at the count of three, the Uchiha charged at the silver-haired man. Kakashi dodged and aimed a punch at his gut, but Sasuke evaded that. They threw more punches and kicks at each other, dodging their opponent's throws each time. Then Kakashi, bored with playing along, pinned Sasuke to the ground, both arms held behind his back and Kakashi's knee resting on top.

"Senpai!" Sakura yelled.

"Why do you want to become a ninja?" Kakashi asked. When Sasuke didn't answer, Kakashi laid one hand on the back of his head and pushed it against the ground. "Why do you want to become a ninja?" he repeated.

Sasuke gritted his teeth. "To protect those I care for."

"Liar." Kakashi dug his knee into Sasuke's back. "Tell the truth."

Sasuke kept his mouth shut until Kakashi pressed his head further into the ground.

"Revenge, okay?" He yelled. "I want revenge on the person who murdered my mom and brother!"

At that moment, Kakashi released him and stood over him. "Revenge is not a goal for a shinobi to pursue," he said.

Sasuke glared at the older man. "What would you do if someone you loved was killed?" He got up, wiped the dust from his clothes and marched towards the house.

"Sasuke ―" Sakura began, but he pushed past her without another word.

Kakashi let out a great sigh. "C'mon, Sakura," he said lazily. "Let's prepare lunch."

Hesitantly, Sakura followed the older man into the kitchen. Both did not speak to each other, and silently made sandwiches with some soup to go with.

"Sakura, I know what you were trying to do for Sasuke," Kakashi said, playing around with his sandwich.

She swallowed her food before answering. "But did you have to be that harsh?"

"It was so that you could see, see what he wants to gain out of this."

She paused. "Who were Sasuke-sama's mother and brother?"

Kakashi took off the top of his sandwich and examined its contents. "Uchiha Mikoto and Itachi were their names. They, like everyone else in this family, were shinobi and two brilliant ones too. One day, they got an investigation mission which turned out to be their last." When Sakura didn't respond, he continued. "I, too, see the potential in Sasuke, I even once tried to teach him, but Fugaku found out and, well, let's just say I had to go to court and almost lost my shinobi license," he lightly chuckled then looked directly at Sakura. "Look, revenge is _not _his only goal. He's got another one it's just, ah, more personal to him. Just know that he's having a hard time being the kind of Uchiha he is. When Sasuke's ready, he'll open up and tell you. Anyways, our duty is to take care of Sasuke, and we're gonna do it _together_."

It took a while for the words to sink in, but when they did, Sakura stood up, took the last sandwich and walked out of the kitchen. Inwardly, Kakashi chuckled to himself and took a bite out of his.

Sakura stood in front of Sasuke's room and knocked. Of course, there was no answer. She knocked again, told Sasuke who was there and that she had some food for him. There was a grunt and the door opened then Sasuke threw himself back on his bed. In the months she had known him, this was the first time she had ever been in his room; he would never let her in even when they had to clean, and she respected that. It was not bare as she thought it would be. There was a bunk bed, the top covered in old clothes, posters of the bands he listened to tacked onto the wall, a picture or two of him and his friends, the basketball from when she first met him. This was Sasuke's room, something that physically reflects bits of his personal life.

"I know your work is dangerous," Sasuke said, staring at the bottom of the top bunk as Sakura set the plate on his desk. "But do you know what it feels like to have your loved ones taken away from you?"

Immediately, Sakura's mind went to her dead parents. "Yes," she responded quietly, too quiet for Sasuke to hear. She sat on the foot of his bed, her legs swinging off the ground. "Revenge is not a reason for a shinobi," she said.

"You think I don't know that?" he retorted, anger rising in his normally calm voice. "Tch. Forget it. You never saw what was left of their bodies." He turned on his side so that his back faced Sakura.

Sakura stared at Sasuke. _Revenge is not his only goal. He's got another one it's just, ah, more personal to him . . . When he's ready, he'll open up and tell you. _Kakashi's words echoed in her head. They stayed silent in Sasuke's dim room, the only light coming from the glaring laptop screen. The sound of a garage door opening startled them both and Sakura stood up.

"Whatever your goal is, I said I was going to teach you and I will. Kakashi even said he was going to pitch in." She looked back at Sasuke who immediately turned his head away. "And maybe one day, you'll achieve that other goal too." And with that, she went out to greet Fugaku.

* * *

**I know, I know, it's been awhile since I updated, and not a lot of originality on Sasuke's part. I wasn't satisifed with the drafts for this, so I let it sit . . . for three months. There was also SSM going on and this is my week so I was working on making . . . some oneshots. I'm so lame.**

**Well I've racked all my creative juices for Week 4, so Happy SSM, everybody!**

**Thanks again to the wonder xXAsuka-chanXx for beta-ing!**


	8. Hiatus

Hiatus

Yes, GA is going on hiatus. The main reason is that I am not satisfied with the plot. I did have it written down and planned out before I started writing, but recently, when I finally had the time to sit down and write, I just was not happy. I tried to come up with something but nothing came, so I let it sit for a while and still nothing. It is really making me mad. Don't worry, I'm not giving up on this. I've made it my goal to finish any story I start. I'm thinking of making major changes to the whole story, including existing chapters, and one of them is taking the plot in a different direction. I'll still be active on, working on other stories and thinking of something for GA. So until then guys.

Seirei Ryuu


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